An Argument, or a Confession?

A few days after Ren was sick, he came back to school. Everyone gathered around him like moths to a flame the moment he came in through the entrance.

Miko was at her shoe locker, looking at the scene a bit disturbed at the sight.

“Do these people not have lives or something?” She thought to herself.

Miko shut her shoe locker, and headed to her classroom, giving Ren a passing glance of disapproval as he rounded the corner

“Honestly, I just don’t understand what people see in him.” She muttered as she opened the door to her class with a scowl.

The first thing Miko noticed, when she reached her desk, was that it was covered in writing. “DIE” “stupid bitch” “nobody wants you here” and other cruel messages were scrawled across its surface.

“That’s not very nice. What about when someone else gets this desk?” she thought to herself, unphased.

A couple of girls from her class walked in, chatting up a storm, before stopping their conversation upon seeing Miko.

“Ugh, why is that bitch still at this school? One whispered.

“I know! And don’t you think she’s too close to Ren, like, trash should know its place!” the other whispered back.

Miko didn’t even look at them, she was just standing there, looking at her desk. Unmoving, her expression dull and unchanging.

“That’s right. This is why I don’t let myself get carried away. About delusions of having someone actually being nice to me.” she thought to herself, as though she was crying inside.

“Even Ren wishes you never existed!” was the biggest message on the desk, covering most of it.

The bell rang, and as people started to trickle in, Miko silently walked out of the classroom, bumping shoulders with Ren as she left, but no reaction came from her, even as Ren looked back with concern.

“Oniwara, is everything ok?” He called out, only to be ignored.

With a hurt look, Ren went to his seat, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Miko’s desk, covered with the black writing.

Immediately, Ren rushed out of the classroom at full speed, much to the shock of the rest of the class.

He searched desperately for Miko, but couldn’t find her, not even once. He ran through the whole school, searching.

Just when he was about to give up, he heard the conversation of some passing boys from another class.

“Did you hear? There’s a rumor that the creepy girl from class-c hides under the stairs at lunch.” one said.

“Really? Is she trying to stalk someone who’s always on the stairs or something?” asked the other.

Miko sat, curled up under the stairs, her face buried in her knees.

“I should have known it was all a lie from the start… So why…. Does it hurt so much?” she muttered to herself, tears starting to form.

“There you are!” a voice called out, snapping Miko back to reality, as she looked up, and saw Ren standing above her with a pained look.

“Why are..-” she began, but got cut off.

“I should be asking that. Why are you sitting here by yourself?” Ren asked, his voice soft and gentle.

“Stop it.” Miko thought, tears starting to form faster. “Don’t make me believe again…” her inner voice sounding in pain.

“I was worried about you, and when I saw the writing on your desk, I got even more worried.” Ren continued, kneeling to be at eye level with MIko.

“I don't want to believe that I could be loved again, because if I do…. I’ll only get hurt from loving you back.” Miko thought to herself, tears starting to stream down her face.

Ren reached out to wipe Miko’s tears from her eyes.

“Go away.” Miko muttered, only loud enough to be heard.

Ren hesitated, with a pained look, but still tried once more to reach out.

“I said GO AWAY!” Miko shouted, slapping his hand away.

“Yeah, you said you like me but it was all a lie, wasn’t it?” Miko muttered with a violent tone of voice.

“No…” Miko’s conscience whispered painfully.

“You never cared about me, I was just someone to have fun messing with.” she said, her words like poison leaking out.

“This isn’t…” Her mind begged.

“So drop the act already, and go die somewhere! It’s better than hurting me!” she growled.

“What I want to say.” Miko’s mind pleaded, like a child begging their mom to stop being angry.

Ren just stayed there, kneeling down in front of Miko silently.

“I knew how you felt about me from the start. But it still hurts.” Miko whispered, accepting the fact that she could never take back the words she had just said.

“You don’t know how I feel about you” Ren responded, his words soft, and gentle, yet full of frustration.

“Yes I do.” Miko argued.

“No, you don’t.” Ren responded, more aggressively.

“YES, I DO!” Miko shouted, looking at Ren with both anger, and pain. “Because out of every time you’ve made passes at me, told me you liked me, or have been near me, you haven’t told me why you like me, and you never even tried to ask me out once!” Miko snapped.

Just when Miko was about to say any more, Ren pulled her in, and hugged her tightly.

“No, you really don’t.” Ren whispered. “I honestly am in love with you. Your messy long black hair, your beautiful eyes, the way you act timid but won’t hesitate to insult me on a constant basis, the way you act colder towards me when you try to be there for me, your cooking is amazing too, even though I only had your rice porridge before.”

Ren kept on listing all of the things Miko saw as her flaws as though they were her good points. All of which made Miko blush the more she heard.

“I didn’t want to say anything, until I was sure you loved me back, but you always made sure to tell me that you hated me.” Ren whispered.

“I…I don’t show my emotions to people, because they will just use them to hurt me. It’s not that I actually hate you… I may not be able to stand you, but it was never hate…. Because to me, I always say the opposite of anything that could make me feel happy, so I won’t get hurt.” Miko whispered back, her arms moving as though she wanted to hug him, but refusing to do so.

“So if I asked you out, what would you say?” Ren asked, hugging Miko tighter.

“I would say… to never let me forget the warm feeling inside my heart right now.” Miko responded, hesitantly hugging Ren back, and burying her face in his shoulder to hide her blushing face.

“I love you… Miko.” Ren whispered softly.

“I hate you…” Miko responded just as softly.

“I know. You mean love.” Ren replied, chuckling a little.

“Shut up. Idiot….. But, yeah. I do.” Miko whispered in a frustrated, yet soft tone.

The two of them sat there in the other’s embrace for what felt like an eternity, silently listening to the other’s heartbeat.